May 18, 2012

Pittsburgh Sports, Opinion and Politics | Just Watch the Game Blog

Blog by John Steigerwald

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NO DISCIPLINE FOR NYSTROM

Kris Letang is headed back to Pittsburgh with concussion symptoms and Eric Nystrom, the guy who hit him, will not be suspended or fined by NHL Prefect of Discipline Brendan Shanahan:

“Our view is that Letang lunges forward just prior to contact and although it appears that the chin is grazed by the side of Nystrom’s arm, the right chest and shoulder of Letang remain the (primary point of contact),” Shanahan said on Twitter.

Shanahan disagrees with Mike Milbury, who said on the NBC Sports post game show that Nystrom should get five games. It was quite a discussion: Be sure to watch the video.

 

 

 

 

Related posts:

1. SCOUTING DISCIPLINE
2. PAUL STEIGERWALD: THE CULTURE OF HITTING
3. STUPIDITY IN THE NAME OF DIVERSITY
4. LETS GO TO THE VIDEO TAPE
5. THIS IS WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT

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Date: March 1, 2012

Categories: Sports

Tags: NO SUSPENSION FOR NYSTROM, NYSTROM LETANG NO SUSPENSION

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Comments RSS TrackBack 42 comments

• Reply

  jwit

  in March 1st, 2012 @ 19:33

  First off, if it were matt cooke delivering the hit, he would be banned for life from the game. Once the NHL had a chance to do the right thing and send the right message, and it blew it. The fact that Milbury actually gets it and the other cement heads don’t speaks volumes as to the level of the problem going forward. As you said on the air the other day, stop talking about it. IF you were serious about fixing it, there is really no disucssion to have. suspend him and move on. Otherwise its open season, have fun Cookie, its the wild west again.

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• Reply

  Dr. Phibes

  in March 1st, 2012 @ 21:00

  If it was Matt Cooke delivering the same hit, Penguin fanboys would be falling over themselves justifying the hit. “he never left his feet”, “it wasn’t intentional”, and so on.

  I think the hit was too borderline to invent a new rule over it. That Nystrom’s elbow was tucked in, not extended, and Nystrom never left his feet make the argument that it was a good hit. On the other hand, he turned towards Letang (and not the puck) at the very last moment even though Letang had just pushed the puck away from his body. And, the hit was to the jaw. Not a real head-hunter hit like Cooke’s specialty, but technically a headshot.

  A penalty?: definite. A 2-4 game suspension?: justifiable. Change the rules? Not for something like this.

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• Reply

  John Steigerwald

  in March 1st, 2012 @ 23:11

  The game will disappear if they don’t change. It can’t survive losing so many players. It won’t happen next week or next year but it will happen.

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• Reply

  ISteve Roissy

  in March 3rd, 2012 @ 08:53

  The game is MUCH less rough than it used to be.

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• Reply

  Tim

  in March 1st, 2012 @ 20:59

  From my vantage point I think Nystrom got a lot more of Letang’s chin than Shanahan ruled he did. Maybe the answer is to ban all head shots regardless of how they happen. But would you ban this hit that Orpik laid on Skinner? No contact with the head but it could easily have resulted in a concussion

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7roY1pRkQY

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• Reply

  John Steigerwald

  in March 1st, 2012 @ 23:16

  Same deal. A clean hit not but it can’t be allowed to continue. Orpik saw a guy teed up and took advantage of it. Same as Nystrom. The hit wasn’t necessary for lack of a better way to put it. He wasn’t carrying the puck and he wasn’t going to get the puck. Maybe if they went back to the old style, softer equipment they can continue to allow hits like that but not with the weaponry they wear now.

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• Reply

  Tim

  in March 2nd, 2012 @ 08:24

  What type of rule would you write to ban a hit like that? If you can’t hit a player who just touched the puck who can you hit? And reducing the size of the shoulder pads would help but Orpik has to outweigh Skinner by 35 pounds. I don’t think soft shelled shoulder pads are going to make him think twice about delivering a hit.

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• Reply

  John Steigerwald

  in March 2nd, 2012 @ 17:37

  It can’t happen over night but laying a vulnerable player out can no longer be considered a “hockey play”– which is what Joe Nieuwendyke (Stars GM) called it. Shoulder pads that allow your shoulder to hurt when it makes contact with a helmet will make him think twice.

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• Reply

  Dan

  in March 3rd, 2012 @ 13:28

  I think your argument works for football, but hockey players are pretty darn tough as you know John. I don’t know. I don’t think the guys who come back into a game after getting teeth knocked out, lips stitched up, noses broken, fingers broken…I don’t think they’re going to stop playing physical because they might get a bruise from delivering a hit. I could be wrong but I think these guys would hit each other just as hard and as much if they had no pads on at all.

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• Reply

  John Steigerwald

  in March 4th, 2012 @ 00:14

  They didn’t when the pads were smaller.

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• Reply

  Iron Mike

  in March 2nd, 2012 @ 12:37

  We can go around and around with this debate. Players got bigger and stronger, so the equipment became “more protective.’ Because the equipment became more protective, players got even bigger and stronger because there was less chance of injury to themselves. So the equipment becomes even more protective…

  So it is the equipment or the size of the players today vs. 20 or 30 years ago? Which came first, the chicken or the egg?

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• Reply

  John Steigerwald

  in March 2nd, 2012 @ 17:33

  It’s about what came last and that’s weaponized equipment that needs to go away.

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• Reply

  Iron Mike

  in March 2nd, 2012 @ 18:55

  I don’t disagree that weaponized equipment is part of the cause. But all athletes are looking for that competitive advantage by striving to become better, faster, stronger (as the theme for the Six Million Dollar Man starts running through my head). The speed and strength of athletes, especially in contact sports, isn’t helping anything. I never understood why a lineman had to be 300 pounds other than the fact that the guy across the scrimmage line is 290.

  I read Mark Madden’s blog earlier today. He was addressing the argument that these violent hits are part of the game. Yeah, maybe. I can see both sides of that argument, but player safety comes first. I recently read somewhere that Bylsma suggested bringing back the two-line pass. I don’t think that will happen because that will likely reduce goals and breakaways and, therefore, excitement for the ticket-paying fans and the TV contract paying NBC. But it certainly would slow the players down and reduce the number of bone-jarring hits. Another rule change I would like to see is no touch icing. The way players charge down the ice is incredible, and I’m not surprised there aren’t more injuries as a result. Does the NHL need its own Luděk Čajka (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lud%C4%9Bk_%C4%8Cajka) before they make the change?

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• Reply

  franji1

  in March 3rd, 2012 @ 18:51

  better, stonger, faster – enjoy… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcLZ3rxwVBY

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• Reply

  Blasto

  in March 1st, 2012 @ 22:22

  One thing is for sure, that team needs Kris Letang big time. You can forget the cup talk if he’s out for an extended period of time.

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• Reply

  JM2979

  in March 1st, 2012 @ 23:06

  The excuses and rationalizations that Shanahan makes for some of these dirty hits is nauseating. And yes, the repeat offender rationale defies logic if your intent is to call things down the middle. Granted, there have been an uptick in suspensions and fines this season, but there is still glaring inconsistency and…..excuses, excuses, excuses. Mario said it best: “Garage League”

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• Reply

  JM2979

  in March 1st, 2012 @ 23:22

  Also, I am getting really sick and tired of the liberties being taken on the Pens key personnel. And last night, nobody for Dallas would back up this goon-ism by dropping the gloves. I understand the advantage of having an agitator on your team (i.e Steve Ott), but there seems to be a lot of immaturity amongst these guys. If you are going to start $&@#, at least be ready to settle it like a man, The Stars ought to feel lucky that it is 2012 and a one Gary Roberts is no longer on our roster! (Right, Mr. Ben Eager?)

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• Reply

  JWK

  in March 2nd, 2012 @ 16:12

  The Stars also realized that once Letang and then Sullivan were out they could take even more liberties. Engelland was not likely going to drop the gloves and put them down to four defensmen for five or more minutes. The one time Asham came off the bench to try to get Ott (or whoever it was to drop ‘em) he declined but I think his antics diminished. Part of what’s good about hockey being displayed there. The bad is the hit going unpunished for the reasons John mentioned and the refs allowing the Stars to get away with borderline antics. Very nice and satisfying win for the Pens but hopefully the price was not too high.

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• Reply

  Ryan Newell

  in March 2nd, 2012 @ 03:41

  John,

  Been fan since Front Four days. Bought book and read blog daily. Queatiion, can you give scoop on “Get nachos up here” gag line? Feel left out on inside joke.

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• Reply

  John Steigerwald

  in March 2nd, 2012 @ 07:34

  No joke. The woman who wrote the commercials put it in there. She came up with the “high atop the John Sisson Nissan Superstore” concept. When I started writing the commercials I kept it in there. Thanks for reading the book (s).

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• Reply

  a-dawg

  in March 2nd, 2012 @ 06:58

  It took the NHL 13 years to get rid of clutching and grabbing….they won’t get rid of head shots until 2025.

  2 words….garage league!

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• Reply

  Meathead

  in March 2nd, 2012 @ 09:02

  And fighting by 2040. If parents aren’t going to let junior play hockey because they saw a hit like that why didn’t fighting sway them earlier?

  Oh, and I’m going out and buying me some Reeboks now.

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• Reply

  Shawn

  in March 2nd, 2012 @ 13:55

  It took the league 13 years (including lost season) to get rid of clutching and grabbing and about 5 1/2 for it too slowly creep back in. It’s all coming back.

  A bunch of dinosaurs run the NHL. They might be too stupid and/or stubborn to do anything about all this until a bunch of people’s lives and the game itself have been ruined.

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• Reply

  Ken

  in March 2nd, 2012 @ 07:28

  A great road win on Wedneday in Dallas, but their Cup hopes may have died with that hit.

  Imagine what this team would be like with Crosby and Letang.

  I don’t think he deserves a suspension. But they do need to outlaw all head shots.

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• Reply

  JMS

  in March 2nd, 2012 @ 08:56

  I agree. Letang and Crosby out = no cup for Pittsburgh

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• Reply

  Ken

  in March 2nd, 2012 @ 18:42

  If I had to have only one of the two back, I’d take Letang. No offense to Sid, but I with Malkin playing as he is, I think Letang is the more important player if they stand a chance.

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• Reply

  Blasto

  in March 2nd, 2012 @ 23:03

  Crosby OR Letang will equal no cup…they need them both to win it.

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• Reply

  Ken

  in March 3rd, 2012 @ 10:08

  I think they could win without Crosby as long as Malkin is healthy. A lot of Cup-winning teams have only one great center.

  They need Letang on the blue line and I think they could win with him, even without Crosby.

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• Reply

  Richard

  in March 2nd, 2012 @ 10:24

  The NHL is committing suicide with this.

  I’ve been a life long hockey fan, and I’m having a hard time getting excited to watch games when all the star players are hurt all the time. Not just Penguins stars, but league stars.

  Why do I want to watch a product that doesn’t allow it’s great players to be great? Where they don’t even play anymore?

  Look up the number of man-games lost to concussions this season. It’s a joke.

  The NHL needs to realize that guys like Crosby and Letang are far more important to the game than guys like Eric Nystrom. Guys like Nystrom are a dime a dozen, you can find a guy just like him on any street corner in Saskatchewan.

  The NFL gets it. They protect their stars. Whether you like it or not, the NFL has implemented plenty of rules to protect the guys at the skill positions. These are the guys who sell tickets. Tom Brady sells tickets, people want to watch him play on television. Same with Peyton Manning and all the other great QBs. The NFL realizes that guys like James Harrison come and go, and that nobody in Iowa is tuning into the NFL to watch him play.

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• Reply

  Dr. Phibes

  in March 2nd, 2012 @ 19:08

  All players should be protected equally, no special treatment for “stars”. NHL refs have enough difficulty calling the rules that are in black and white, let alone giving them the discretion to make up their own rules depending on who they feel are stars and who are not.

  None of us like the flags thrown when Tom Brady gets scraped by a defender’s fingernail. We don’t need refs picking and choosing whom to protect on the ice in the same manner.

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• Reply

  John Steigerwald

  in March 2nd, 2012 @ 22:57

  Who’s asking for special treatment for the stars?

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• Reply

  Dan

  in March 3rd, 2012 @ 13:37

  I’m with you Richard. I love hockey and I love games like the one Malkin gave us against Tampa last week. But I have never watched less hockey than I have the last two seasons. I know it’s not all about winning and losing, but the season seems so meaningless, especially for a team expected to compete for a Cup every year. I know I’m robbing myself of chances to watch the world’s best sport but something feels wrong with the game. I don’t get that rush I used to and I think it’s because there’s too many jobbers and half-talents and the stars can’t do what they should be able to do.

  What happened to seasons like Brett Hull’s 70-goal year? Why is it so hard to get back to that? We need to make goalie pads smaller and let the main attraction of the game, the forwards, do what they do best. Pass, stickhandle, skate, shoot, score. That’s what I miss. Can you imagine how amazing Sidney Crosby would have been in the 80′s?

  We gotta get these teams out of the south too. It’s just not attractive. I watched a Canucks game in a bar in Toronto one night and it was nuts, every person in there was watching hockey and every TV had a hockey game or NHL Network on. I can’t imagine anything like that going on in Nashville or Raleigh.

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• Reply

  RON

  in March 2nd, 2012 @ 07:52

  With seeing one of their best players laying on the ice I was a little disappointed that the Pens didnt take care of Nystrom on the ice. But … with the instigator rule if you grab him you face a suspension and a heavy fine. Take out the instigator rule and maybe guys wont be head hunting if they knew there would be a price to pay on the ice.

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• Reply

  Dr. Phibes

  in March 2nd, 2012 @ 19:00

  RON argues against head-hunting, but condones goonism by wondering why “someone didn’t take care of Nystrom on the ice”. I don’t see how that solution makes the NHL a better place.

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• Reply

  JMS

  in March 2nd, 2012 @ 08:55

  Every time JR opens his mouth I like him less. I want to go play NHL 92 on Genesis and make his head bleed.

  Two things.

  FIrst, no more head shots. No excuses, rationalizations, onus on the hittee to “prepare” for the hit?, etc.

  Second, make a rule like soccer (I know I know) where you have to make contact with the puck first and then you can hit the player. At least then the player without the puck will be forced to try to make a play on the puck rather than just look for the hit like Raffi Torres in the link. This also allows the player carrying the puck time to prepare for the hit so he doesnt leave himself “in a vulnerable position”…whatever that means??

  Honestly, Im less in support of the second rule, but I am tired of seeing the games best players not on the ice and something needs to change. Costas and Betteman had a pretty good dialog about this subject the other day. Football, for all it has gotten wrong, seems to be making some progess on head shots and protecting hte stars we pay lots of $$ to see…at least in concept.

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• Reply

  Iron Mike

  in March 2nd, 2012 @ 18:59

  NHL 92 on Genesis…great reference. Last year for blood in that video game series. Their taking it out was just another step in the sissification of America.

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• Reply

  ISteve Roissy

  in March 3rd, 2012 @ 08:57

  Great point. I gashed Gretzky many times, it was awesome.

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• Reply

  Matt

  in March 2nd, 2012 @ 12:50

  If Nystrom had an elbow pad made of padding instead of a plastic shell, he would have broke his elbow.

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• Reply

  Joe Ferretti

  in March 2nd, 2012 @ 15:09

  It really should be this simple. If you go for a hit and the contact has no relationship to the puck it should be a penalty. Milbury’s point about Nystrom making no effort to get the puck was spot on. And any head shot should be a penalty and suspension. The number of big time players out for extended periods of time is striking.

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• Reply

  Tattoo Rick

  in March 2nd, 2012 @ 18:49

  Hockey is ignorant and will never police its own. That said at least football is attempting to change and will survive. Until Hockey gets rid of fighting and so called “physical play” the NHL will die a not so slow death. JS is right this time.

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• Reply

  ISteve Roissy

  in March 3rd, 2012 @ 09:01

  The hitting and occasional rough stuff is part of the “rock & roll” of Hockey that makes it popular, especially with younger fans. Any real hockey fan’s favorite hockey movie is Slapshot and the Hansons are why Slapshot is Slapshot.

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• Reply

  John Steigerwald

  in March 3rd, 2012 @ 10:17

  We know a lot more about concussions now than we did in the mid-70s. If they don’t change equipment and the way the games are, football and hockey will eventually disappear.

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